


Injurious Strangers

by jadedskywalker



Series: The Dark & The Light [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angry Sex, Angst, BSDM, Betrayal, Bondage, Dark, Dom/sub, F/M, Gen, Heartache, Heartbreak, Lies, Light Bondage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pregnant Sex, Star Wars - Freeform, triangles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 22:00:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9568652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadedskywalker/pseuds/jadedskywalker
Summary: >> Sequel to 'Reticent Darlings' – please read Part I first before attempting to start this one!Luke & Mara are in a holding pattern 2.5 months out from the collapse of the Sleeping Rose, neither sure of what the other is intent on doing. With so many moving parts and challenges on the horizon, what does this mean for them?





	

**Author's Note:**

> >>> Pleaseeee read Part I: Reticent Darlings before starting this! You'll have 0 clue what is going on otherwise. 
> 
> Here's a short Prologue to get things started again...

The torn end of Luke’s proper robes swayed, cutting thin, fine grooves into sodden topsoil; he paced, zig-zagging north to south and back again. It was a mindless sort of walking, no direction, no intention; he trampled the lush browns and vivid greens carelessly, thoughts completely removed from his physical self. 

The Massassi Temple loomed in the distance, its dominating structure infecting him much like a pulsating aura might; the collective group of people working and mulling about within its endless halls reflected like a fine tune, a song sung effortlessly to him.

Each of these life forms bore their own set of worries, their own unique, complex problems and life issues exclusive to them, but there was only one Luke was concerned with. 

One soul that Luke searched exclusively for, the Force honing on amidst the chaos and hustle of everyday operations. This spark of light, this wailing beacon, was thrashing about in what felt like an ocean of fervency–she was scared, worried. Cautious even. And it was pulling him beneath the surface, his mind flooding between what might be happening versus the unknowable future. 

Luke stopped walking at that and turned his head towards the apex of the Temple, its weathered stone appearing as though it were touching the sky, reaching for reason or purpose.

She wasn't there or anywhere near the top but he needed a point of reference to slow down and focus his pounding heart. The culmination of architectural engineering was soothing to Skywalker, helping to lessen the more irrational impulses churning inside of him. 

He raked his fingertips over the center of his chest, feeling the hardened brand despite a layer of thick batha-wool that adorned him. Luke shut his eyes and breathed deeply, his thoughts solely on the confrontation that awaited the moment Mara exited the building. 

Impracticality was not something he was accustomed to; Skywalker didn’t want to risk either their reputations nor positions within the Trade and Jedi organizations respectively, and so he felt it was best to keep things out of the general public’s line of sight. 

Hence his current position; set at the northeast corner of the Temple, where the forest’s edge greets the rear gateway of the grandiose structure, Luke walks determinedly nowhere as he waits. His pacing subconsciously begins to match the rhythmic incline of her heart rate and for only a whisper, he wonders if she has sensed him. Wonders idly if she’ll expose him, or expose all he has done if she’s as furious as he suspects she might be. His presence here was not by invitation–if it had been, he wouldn’t have needed to quietly ambush her as she made her way back towards the aft, and often unused, hangar bay. 

Despite his fear, Luke knows his Force shields are stronger than they've ever been, stronger still than their shared time together at the Sleeping Rose. Yet, even knowing such things, he worries his emotions might have gotten the better of him. _This_ is a situation he's never faced; torture, humiliation, hunger, thirst, rage–that form of pain he understands. That’s the same kind he’s able to control if and when called upon in any given or special case conundrum. 

But eighty-two days have passed since that last duracrete brick has fallen to dust. Eighty-two standard days since he's spoken with her. And time...time has healed no wounds for Luke. 

Now, he’s here on the heels of shocking news, the same jarring wake-up call Wedge delivered only a few nights ago, and things are far more precarious than they’ve ever been. How can _he_ be a father? How is it possible she would even let this happen, would even consider keeping _his_ child? 

Does he even want to be a father? 

A coruscating pulse of… _injury_ suddenly soars through the Force and Luke knows immediately it’s emanating from Jade. But as quickly as it comes, it diminishes, her abrupt anxiety dwindling down to a relatively emptied state. She’s gained a handle and is using her abilities to dampen whatever was the cause of that jarring spike.

Luke jogs to the nearby entrance and contemplates going in; it wouldn’t be easy to account for rash action, should any holonet sources contained inside just so happen to be in the right spot at the wrong time for him. And there’s little doubt that this is certain fact, regardless of how closely personnel is monitored within the Temple. There’s always a reporter masquerading as something other than who they claimed to be when gaining permittance. It’s standard practice, as the Alliance considers them to be more of a pesky annoyance than any true threat, as these undercover operatives would never disclose vital information that might compromise the integrity of such a Galaxy-wide organization. 

His hand reaches out towards a secure datapad–a biometric scanner flashing an Aurebesh message: it's asking for the entrant to place their palm in the center of the screen, a security effort to verify identity. Luke extends his and promptly halts before laying his skin flat against the chilled crystal; this would prove that he had been here, on this day. Entering through this door. At this particular time. 

If some untoward event happened, say between him and Mara, and his name appeared on the official report, how could he deny any involvement, after willfully, and verifiably, signing in just moments before said disturbance occurred? It’d be difficult to explain away, worse still it might throw his credibility, or hers, into question. On the other hand, he couldn’t stomach Mara suffering an injury given her present state, no matter how well she could take care of herself. 

More than that was the question of ethics–was it his duty to rescue her? Did she even _need_ rescuing or desire to ever see him again? Wedge seemed far closer to Jade these days than he ever was, and while he did want to act out his frustrations on his friend, Luke tried to see the circumstances for what they were. He hadn’t exactly been ...accommodating, or friendly to Mara–and he did technically kidnap her. 

The fact still remained that, according to Antilles, Mara was carrying Luke’s child. _His_ child, and no others. Certainly not Wedge Antilles’. 

Physically unmoving, Skywalker’s thoughts wandered to the various plethora of departments all sharing workspace within the Alliance’s headquarters. Luke knew the Temple possessed numerous clinics–physicians present and on-site at all hours to treat wounds, ailments and general health concerns. 

The Jedi paused, reassessing the Force sense she triggered and what greater meaning it may have been intending to expose.

Jade’s flare was both emotional and physical and this truth was deeply disturbing the longer he thought on it; awakening from his stupor, he pulled his hand farther from the datapad, grasping at his chest to regulate his breathing. 

_The Mark._

Reaching below the surface layer of his tunic, Skywalker's fingers brushed over the scar tissue adorning his mid-torso. Mara Jade was a permanent piece of him, and always would be. 

But after such a trident of pure Force energy he’d received, was he still a part of her?

**Author's Note:**

> I took 3 months off! 3 whole months of not writing while simultaneously going insane because I wanted to write. But the break was refreshing and now I'm here and ready to throw these two characters back into the frying pan. Thanks to my ever-amazing beta, I hope I didn't kill you with the wait. x


End file.
